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Reapply to MBB

Hi,

I'm gearing up to start case interview prep soon. Fourteen months ago, I applied to MBB firms Paris offices, made it through the initial screenings at McKinsey and Bain but didn't advance past the first round. Currently, I'm an Associate at a Big 4, having worked on five diverse technology consulting projects.

I'm considering reapplying to MBB  and top tier 2 firms  Paris offices between September 2024 and early 2025. Given my background, what are my odds of making it through the screening process this time? Would securing a referral boost my chances? I'd appreciate any additional advice you might have. Thank you!

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Top answer
Dennis
Coach
on Mar 06, 2024
Roland Berger|Project Manager and Recruiter|7+ years of consulting experience in USA and Europe

Hi there,

it sounds like enough time has passed for you to reapply and you added relevant experience to your CV in the meantime. Given the timeline you described, it sounds like you will have around 1.5 years of experience at the Big 4 company which is fine.

Since you only plan on applying in the fall, you should definitely use the time until then to network and to try to secure referrals for all of the companies (ideally) you want to apply for. This will definitely boost your chances to make it past the CV screening process. Considering the current economic environment and assuming no significant changes for the next 6 months, there will be a reduced hiring pipeline and increased competition for consulting offers. So you want to take advantage of every lever you could get (meaning referral).

Best of luck

Anonymous A
on Mar 06, 2024
Thank you, Dennis, for your advice. McKinsey allowed me to practice with an associate consultant, leading to a positive interaction. After being rejected, he suggested contacting him for future assistance. Would asking him for a referral be appropriate? Also, are higher grades necessary to improve my application? In this case, from which grade it becomes a significant referral? Thanks again
Dennis
Coach
on Mar 06, 2024
Roland Berger|Project Manager and Recruiter|7+ years of consulting experience in USA and Europe
Any referral is better than no referral of course. The strongest referrals are usually the ones coming from people within the company who have a senior role and a considerable tenure (and assumed positive standing). So manager and partner levels are what you would ideally like to aim for. If that is not possible, then you should take whatever you can get. It's great that you already have a personal connection to an associate at McK. You should certainly try to leverage that
on Mar 06, 2024
#1 Rated & Awarded McKinsey Coach | Top MBB Coach | Verifiable success rates

A true warrior here. Great to hear you're reapplying. 

Screening is a bit tougher now because of the market situation.

Indeed, securing referrals would make the biggest difference. If you don't have them yet, these two resources should help:

Aside from this, I'd focus on two other things

1. Going broader with the applications. i.e., apply to more firms, rather than targeting only MBBs (even if you just use the others as a practice ground)

2. Give another polish to your CV & CL. If there's anything that you can do to make your application better, then you should do it. 

More on how to build an application strategy also in the following article:

Best,
Cristian

Ian
Coach
on Mar 07, 2024
Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about not making it past the first round a McK and Bain.

Now, if you passed the screenings before, you can pass them again.

Given you have more experience, you *should* pass again. However, remember that this is always an odds game.

Getting your resume processing reviewed and securing a referral would boost your chances.

However, you're avoiding the root cause of the problem. The problem before was not the screening, but rather the interviews.

Sounds like you have a well paying job. invest that in a coach.

Your problem is the interviews. Get training + support to pass those interviews - avoid making the same mistake twice!

Here's some reading to help you with that:

The Most Common Pitfalls in Case Interview Preparation
 

Dos and Don'ts in a Case Interview
 

How to Shift Your Mindset to Ace the Case
 

Candidate-Led Cases: What to Expect With Example Cases

on Mar 07, 2024
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

1) Given my background, what are my odds of making it through the screening process this time?

We would need more information for a complete assessment. However, given they invited you before and you now have consulting experience (I assume it is strategy-related), you should have a good chance of receiving invitations again.

2) Would securing a referral boost my chances? 

Yes, referrals increase the chances of an interview. You can find more on referrals below: 

How to Get an MBB Invitation

Good luck!

Francesco

Florian
Coach
on Mar 06, 2024
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 600+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hi there,

Your odds are great and you have done everything you could to improve your profile for a re-invite. The last thing that helps boost your chances is a referral.

Looking toward the end of the year, the economy/recruiting should be picking up again too - this is the only variable you cannot control in this game.

All the best,

Florian

Pedro
Coach
on Mar 07, 2024
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Senior Coach | Principal | Recruiting Team Leader

You have decent chances - can't say your profile is better now than before, and moreover recruiting is now tougher than it was last year (and way tougher than two years ago), and experience hires are less interesting than fresh graduates right now. Applying now to Tier 2 makes sense, although I would suggest you also consider some high level boutiques.

A referral would be very important in your situation.

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